In November online retail giant Amazon put to rest endless questions regarding where it was going to locate its second headquarters.
In an unexpected split decision, the company said it would build its new offices in both Arlington, Virginia, as well as Long Island, New York.
The announcement followed more than a year of speculation, with cities across the country competing for the honor of winning the $5 billion project.
Out of more than two hundred cities that sent extensive submissions to Amazon, a list of twenty finalists were announced in early 2018. On that list was Denver.
The November announcement revealed that Amazon had received nearly $600 million in incentives from Arlington, along with a significantly larger $1.5 billion package in New York.
But since that announcement, a variety of community groups, residents, and public union officials in New York have expressed their opposition to the Amazon deal, complaining in particular about the scale of the incentives.
Now, according to a report published in the Washington Post, Amazon is thought to be reconsidering its New York decision. According to the newspaper, an unnamed Amazon official wondered “whether it’s worth it if the politicians in New York don’t want the project.”
In response, while not denying that it may be reevaluating its New York decision, Amazon in a statement said “We’re focused on engaging with our new neighbors—small business owners, educators, and community leaders.”
In a news conference New York Governor Andrew Cuomo expressed anger over the possibility that Amazon could ultimately end up building elsewhere, saying that if that happens, political leaders in the state are “going to have the people of New York state to explain it to.”
Cuomo continued: “It is irresponsible to allow political opposition to overcome sound government policy.”
In response to stories about Amazon possibly rethinking its New York decision, public officials in Connecticut, Maryland, and New Jersey have reached out to the company in the hope that it may reconsider their states for the project.
There have been no indications as of yet that Denver officials are thinking of making a renewed pitch to Amazon.
By Garry Boulard
